Granite Stripe

QUALIFYING: Darrell Wallace Jr. Develops Affinity For New Hampshire With Track-Record Run

LOUDON, N.H. – Early Thursday afternoon, Darrell Wallace Jr. joked that New Hampshire Motor Speedway wasn't at the top of his list of favorite race tracks. The reasoning, Wallace said, was that he'd never won at The Magic Mile.

After Wallace's pole-winning lap at New Hampshire later in the day handed him a new NASCAR K&N Pro Series East track record, Wallace had changed his tune.

"I love it now," Wallace said with a big smile.

Three-time New Hampshire winner Eddie MacDonald qualified second for the New Hampshire 125, which gets the green flag at 5 p.m. Friday.

Wallace's time of 29.849 seconds (127.602 mph) around the 1.058-mile oval eclipsed the previous track record of 29.863 seconds held by Brett Moffitt, who who qualified third.

"Brett just told me I took the record from him," said Wallace, whose only other K&N Pro Series pole came at South Boston Speedway back in April. "So, that's one more thing to cross off the bucket list."

Wallace finished just 30 here in July, but he has victories at both Richmond International Raceway and Columbus Motor Speedway this season in the Revolution Racing No. 6 U.S. Army Toyota.

Series points leader Max Gresham qualified fourth.

For MacDonald, the qualifying effort marked a decided turnaround. The No. 71 Grimm Construction Chevrolet blew an engine early in practice back in July, and he never was afforded a qualifying attempt. He rallied to finish ninth in the New England 125.

Local favorite D.J. Shaw, son of Dale Shaw, did not qualify. He blew a tire in practice earlier in the day and suffered heavy damage to the right front of his car after contact with the wall.